|
The two Marys.
“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other
Mary to see the sepulchre.... And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came
and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.” Matthew 28:1, 9
Mary Magdalene.
“Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast
seven devils.” Mark 16:9
“But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping ... and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.”
John 20:11-14
Cleopas and another.
“And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus.... And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas,
answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there
in these days? ... And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to
them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” Lk.24:13-31
Cephas.
“And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas,
then of the twelve.” 1 Corinthians 15:4-5
_____________________________________________________
Explanation:
Notice that 1 Corinthians does not say that Cephas was seen first before anyone. Cephas(Peter) was simply the
first of the disciples to see Jesus because a “then” follows his witness regarding the other disciples.
To find out who saw Jesus first, either man or woman, we must look to where it says “first”. That fact
would be in the Mark passage. “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary
Magdalene”. Because both Marys went to the tomb together, at the same time, it would also be accurate to say that both
of them saw him first.
But at some point, they must have been apart while waiting by the sepulcher, for Jesus spoke specifically to Mary Magdalene
initially, telling her to tell Peter and the other disciples(Mark 16) about His resurrection. So He disappeared again, and
Mary Magdalene told the other Mary, and they both ran back to the disciples. While making haste on their way back, Jesus
saw them again, this time with the other Mary. “And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying,
All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.”(Matt. 28:9)
The Gospel of Mark tells us that Jesus was seen by Cleopas and his companion after He appeared to the two Marys. “After
that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country... Afterward he appeared unto
the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them
which had seen them after he was risen.” (Mark 16:12, 14)
So here is the order of events: Mary Magdalene saw Jesus first, then He disappeared. When Mary Magdalene went to tell the
other Mary who she had seen, they both saw the angel in the sepulcher. Running back to the apostles, Jesus met the two Marys
again while they were together, and they worshipped Him. While the Marys were informing the disciples, Jesus appeared to
Cleopas and his friend. After that, Jesus appeared to the eleven apostles. Sometime right before this meeting with the eleven,
He appeared to Peter.
|
